Chapter 33: Listen to Me 014

Chapter 33

Tian Yingying finally squeezed out real tears amidst the sounds of mockery, her face flushed red with shame and indignation. The deep-rooted fear of Xie Jin prevented her from retorting a single word as she slinked off the stage in embarrassment.

The entire four hours of recording for the show was completed, and all the contestants who advanced to the next round formally entered the training camp for closed off comprehensive training.

Su Tao hadn't even gotten up from her seat when she saw a middle-aged man take the initiative to chat up Jiang Qi.

The flirtatious smile in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Qi was exactly the same as when she first wanted to sign Jiang Qi.

A rare anxiousness flashed through Su Tao's normally calm eyes. If not for worrying about her image, she would have jumped over the table right then.

Xie Jin had started thinking of excuses to ask Su Tao out for a meal since before the recording had even ended.

He thought of countless reasons why she might reject him, yet never imagined that before he even had a chance to speak, Su Tao would have already disappeared without a trace.

The moment Jiang Qi got off stage, he was stopped by someone claiming to be an executive from Huixing Entertainment, who kept praising Jiang Qi for being outstanding and having potential.

Jiang Qi was a bit annoyed at first and wanted to leave. But when he saw Su Tao striding over, with a rare murderous look in her beautiful doe eyes, his footsteps halted.

"Hello, I'm Jiang Qi's agent, Su Tao," Su Tao coolly declared her ownership, no hint of a smile reaching her eyes.

The Huixing executive smiled awkwardly, unable to conceal the admiration in his tone, "I was just praising Jiang Qi, he's truly outstanding, such a good prospect!"

"Thank you for praising him. Jiang Qi is an artist we at Jing Yang are focused on cultivating," Su Tao deliberately emphasized the words "focused on cultivating", intent on telling him not to get ideas about poaching Jiang Qi, because the company would not let him go.

After the Huixing executive left awkwardly, the corners of Jiang Qi's mouth couldn't help but curl up as he stared at Su Tao, who seemed gentle on the surface but was like a ruffled cat with her hackles raised right now. He let out a soft chuckle, earning himself a glare from Su Tao.

"Can you chat with just anyone?" Su Tao gave him a sideways glance, her tone less than friendly.

"Feeling nervous? Afraid I'll leave you?"

Jiang Qi's clear and tender eyes were full of smiling warmth. Whenever he wanted, he could make anything sound flirtatiously ambiguous. Those with weaker resistance would probably blush.

Su Tao secretly rolled her eyes at him. Straightening her back, she gave a little huff, "With a nine digit penalty, do you think those people all have my foresight to pay such a huge penalty fee for you, an artist not even officially debuted yet?"

"What if there is one?" Jiang Qi's mouth quirked with a wicked grin, seeming intent on riling Su Tao up.

Su Tao raised her hand and slapped Jiang Qi's arm, not too lightly or heavily, warning him, "Stop always threatening me. I may look easy to bully but dare you really provoke me?"

Getting hit made Jiang Qi's smile grow even more amused. He leaned in next to her ear, breathing out in a low voice, "But I like provoking you."

Not giving Su Tao a chance to react after he spoke, he quickly reached out and ruffled the top of Su Tao's head, then waved his hand with a laugh as he briskly walked away.

His clean and handsome sunshine boy figure blended into the crowd of young boys and girls entering the training camp, still the most eye-catching and stalwart among them.

Su Tao retracted her gaze. Both her and Liang Ke's artists had advanced. It was lively when they came but lonely when leaving alone. Su Tao enjoyed this loneliness, the corners of her lips curving up in satisfaction.

But before the smile could bloom, she saw two familiar figures standing in the shaded corner of the hallway, seeming to be conspiring about something.

One was the Huixing executive who had tried to poach her artist earlier, the other was a tall and solemn figure she was all too familiar with, Xie Jin's back.

In a flash, Su Tao pieced together many things. Xie Jin had previously gotten Rui Qi to try poaching Jiang Qi before.

Judging by the current situation, not only had he not given up after being scolded by her, he had even covertly colluded with other companies to poach Jiang Qi!

This was truly going too far!

After Su Tao realized what was going on, the Huixing executive had already left first.

Xie Jin turned around and saw Su Tao standing behind him. The cold eyes instantly filled with warmth as he took a step forward, wanting to say something but was coldly cut off by Su Tao.

"Xie Jin, if you dare engage in these kinds of shady tricks again, I'll poach all of Rui Qi's artists! Let's see if I can do it or not!"

Watching Su Tao's indignant departing figure, Xie Jin raised his arched brows, looking completely confused.

What shady tricks had he been engaging in?

The Huixing executive had asked him out for a meal and he had declined, that was all. How had he offended her again?

-

Su Tao finally found an opening when Jiang Wan was free and brought up the drama by Hua Chunjiang, thinking she would have to go through a lot of trouble explaining. Unexpectedly, Jiang Wan immediately said she trusted Su Tao's recommendation for the role and asked her to send the script to her so she could have her agent discuss taking the role.

This trust warmed Su Tao's heart. She told Jiang Wan that if there was anything in the future she could help with, to just speak up.

"There is one thing I'd like to ask of you." Jiang Wan's gentle voice came through the phone, a tiredness seeping into her tone. "I want to terminate my contract with my current company. Could you sign me?"

Su Tao was stunned for a few seconds, unable to believe her ears as she confirmed again, "You want to sign with me?"

"From the moment you helped me with my coat, I felt you were especially dependable. I'm very touched by your subtle care and understanding. I also really approve of your views on protecting and planning for artists. My current company only sees me as a money making machine. I'm really tired." Jiang Wan's tone revealed a brittleness that pained Su Tao's heart.

Her gentle yet firm voice gave a promise, "Jiang Wan, I will definitely get you out of your contract. I will go all out for you, just trust me."

After hanging up, Su Tao sent Wang Qi a message to clear two days in Gu YiYan's schedule next week to leave time for the audition.

Having settled Gu YiYan's matter, Su Tao looked over her work plans. Her eyes lit up when she saw DG Computers would soon be launching a new series and she had connections to find out DG was currently selecting a new spokesperson for the series.

DG Computers had always targeted the student market. The designs were youthful, fashionable, lightweight and high cost-performance, making it very popular among students.

DG was also bold about using new artists as spokespeople for their new series. They had an accurate eye for talent, and the previous spokespeople had all grown along with the products they represented and now commanded high prices.

"What's wrong? No beauties in Chicago?" Su Tao joked.

"It's XiaoRu. I found her, she's in Chicago."

Su Tao's eyes instantly lit up. She sat up straight, shocked at first then relieved: "Is she okay?"

There was an uncharacteristic bleakness in Zhang QiGuang's voice. "It's hard to describe in one sentence. She refuses to go back with Haoxing."

The Haoxing he mentioned was Zhang XiaoRu's fiancé Shang Haoxing.

The two got engaged two years ago and XiaoRu ran away on their wedding day half a year later.

After more than a year without any news from her, Haoxing had been living in loss and pain every day.

The reason Zhang QiGuang had been aimlessly wandering so many countries was also partly to look for Zhang XiaoRu. Fortunately he finally found her.

Su Tao looked at her schedule quickly and said into the phone: "Send me the address, I'll fly over today."

Su Tao stood under a tall, lush oak tree with her hands in her coat pockets, rubbing her fingers together inside anxiously. Facing the sister she hadn't seen for years, she felt a little embarrassed and didn't dare acknowledge her.

After observing carefully for a long time, she could barely make out traces of her former self.

Zhang XiaoRu had gained weight. Her originally straight black hair had been permed into fluffy light yellow curls piled on her head. She wore a loose plaid shirt and black pants covered in dog fur, looking sloppy and oblivious.

Although her features were still very pretty, her expression was dull and dispirited. Her eyelids drooped and her eyes were unfocused. She kept yawning, looking like she just woke up.

She had run away with that scumbag to Chicago and was later abandoned. She was also rumored to have had an abortion. Mentally, she must have suffered a major blow.

"XiaoRu..." Su Tao finally spoke but didn't know what to say.

Zhang XiaoRu rubbed her nose and glanced at Su Tao impatiently: "Had a good look? Want to ask why I've become like this? Want to ask why I won't go back with you all? Want to ask how I've been living the past few years? Are you all tired of taking turns persuading me? I've already said everything I wanted to say, just ask my brother and Haoxing. What's the point of talking to me? I already said I won't go back to China with you all!"

Su Tao pursed her lips. She didn't expect XiaoRu to have become so irritable.

"Feel sorry for me?" Zhang XiaoRu sneered derisively. With self-deprecating defensiveness she said, "Think I'm pitiful?"

"No." Su Tao explained hastily, "I care about you..."

"Don't need it. I know you look down on me now, scorn me, think I deserved this, think I brought it on myself! I don't need your approval either. I'll take responsibility for my own life, I don't need you all coming to laugh at me!"

Su Tao's brows furrowed tighter and tighter. XiaoRu was like a porcupine now, very aggressive. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing and letting XiaoRu misunderstand again.

"XiaoRu, I've always been very worried about you. I'm so happy to see you again. I won't interfere with any of your decisions, I just wanted to come see if you're safe, and talk to Haoxing properly again. He's been in a lot of pain these past two years."

Having said that, Su Tao left without waiting for her to launch a new wave of attacks.

She had thought XiaoRu would consider their former friendship and listen to her advice. If she had known earlier that XiaoRu was like this, it would have been better not to come.

Su Tao sat on a park bench, watching Zhang XiaoRu converse with Shang Haoxing from afar.

She probably felt guilty towards Haoxing, so she didn't reject and resent him like she did with Su Tao earlier.

In the two years since XiaoRu left Haoxing, his state had been very poor. He had loved XiaoRu deeply and still couldn't understand why XiaoRu cheated on and left him right before their wedding.

Whenever Su Tao saw his decadent state, she would unconsciously think of that person who was alternatively cold and irritable.

In the time right after she left, she would dream of his gloomy face every night, coldly staring at her. Each time she woke up drenched in cold sweat.

Maybe because she had been oppressed by Xie Jin for so long, she felt uneasy about rebelling against him.

Later she gradually overcame the mental demon. After all, she wasn't the one who cheated. She shouldn't have been the one tormented either.

Her cell phone rang, interrupting Su Tao's thoughts. Looking at the screen, the corner of her eye twitched. Speak of the devil.

Xie Jin's low voice came from the phone, sounding unreal in this foreign environment.

Xie Jin: "You're not in Jiang City? The director's team said you're not going to the recording tomorrow?"

Su Tao: "Mm, I'm not in China. I can't make it back tomorrow, Liang Ke will go."

Xie Jin: "Where did you go? What did you go for? If you don't go, I won't go either."

Su Tao: "You have to go. With all those scandals you stirred up the past two days, I haven't settled accounts with you yet. You must go clarify the rumors."

There was silence on Xie Jin's end for a while. He reluctantly agreed.

In the distance, it seemed like Haoxing had started crying, bowing his head to wipe away tears. Zhang XiaoRu across from him lowered her head remorsefully.

Su Tao's gaze fixed on them. Staring at the two, it was as if she could see other people and events through them. She slowly asked Xie Jin: "When I left without explanation back then, did you hate me?"

Xie Jin seemed to be stunned into silence. After a long while, his slightly hoarse voice carried grievance and bitterness: "You finally realize how unreasonable you were? Am I a pen, a towel, or a car? You can just discard me whenever you want?"

Listening to Xie Jin's choked accusations, Su Tao withdrew her gaze into the distance. Her face was devoid of emotion as she asked, "I just want to know, did you hate me? Did you suffer?"

There was a moment of hesitation on the phone before he answered, "I suffered, I hated you for a time."

A smile finally bloomed on her tranquil face, like a sea of lush wisteria in April. "That's good then."

Xie Jin: "......"